ATA Specification 103 identifies certain quality inspection procedures and safety tests commonly used at storage and transportation facilities that handle jet fuel. It also includes certain forms designed to record performance of the appropriate tests and inspections. All aviation refueling operations must comply with these procedures.
ATA Specifications are created by the airline industry to revolutionize the multi-billion dollar aviation parts business; ATA specifications are a comprehensive set of specifications, products and services that are designed to overcome challenges that have plagued the industry for decades.
Widely used by the world's airlines and suppliers, the system has served the industry for more than 40 years and has evolved to embrace the latest technological advances in information exchange, by streamlining business and operational processes and reducing administrative costs.
ATA specifications have grown to become the backbone of the aviation industries current process and quality controls. As a result, the industry has attributed significant operational efficiencies and cost savings to ATA specifications.
Among one of these very important procedures that must be carried out on a routine basis is the inspection and replacement of a fuel filter screen assembly that resides in the Underwing Nozzle. The filter screen acts as the final fuel filtering component before aviation fuel enters the aircraft. The fuel screen comprises of an non-bypassable 100 mesh nozzle/connector screen formed in a cone and affixed to a ring with a snap and or removal apparatus. The invention allows for this very important component to be inspected in an improved fashion.
Specifically, Specification 103 states that each Underwing Nozzle fuel screen be examined for particles or other solid contaminants and furthermore states that if particles are found that the operator is to investigate possible sources of contamination. Specification 103 additionally requires a form to be filled out to document the inspection and that the form is retained for 12 months. There are several manufacturers of the Underwing Nozzle and this predominate nozzle is utilized worldwide by more companies and at more airports than any other nozzle. Tens of thousands of these nozzles are used on a daily basis for commercial aviation refueling, military operations and private jet refueling.
Current operations for inspection and changing this fuel screen assembly include one person holding the Underwing Nozzle while another person facilities the operation of disconnecting the hose from the Underwing Refueling Nozzle to inspect the filter screen assembly. The present invention allows for a two man operation to become a one man operation.
During this operation the aviation fuel within the hose and nozzle are lost or otherwise spilt upon the ground. Some airport refueling operators will perform this operation over a bucket in the attempt to catch some of the fuel.
While lost fuel is expected in current inspection operations there is the danger that particles and/or other contamination that could be from inner hose lining, pipe rust, sand, low point sediment, equipment failure, seals, gasket, etc. will be flushed out with the loss of fuel and that early detection of contamination indicators will not be apparent, as they are lost with the spilt fuel.
In most cases the fuel is lost and spilt on the ground causing both environmental and fire hazard concerns for airport operators. Said fuel can also be splashed or otherwise spilled on the operators during this inspection procedure.
Even the manufacturer of the Underwing Nozzle acknowledges this problem and states in their catalogs that with a standard nozzle/hose system, the hose must be drained to accomplish checking the filter.
Even if additional steps are utilized to prevent this problem such as using a commercially available Dry Break apparatus instead of the standard quick disconnect, the fuel in the nozzle still needs to be caught during the inspection of the filter screen and the fuel is typically spilt upon the ground.
An additional important feature of the invention is in the hose replacement process of the fueling truck wherein the pumping action of the fuel truck is reversed to become a vacuum or suction action to drain the fuel hose contents back into the fuel truck tank.
While the Underwing Nozzle is attached to the invention the nozzle poppet valve remains open while the hose is redirected to the suction side of the truck pump from the pumping or discharge side for the purpose of draining the fuel hose.
The present operation procedure includes operators manually opening a poppet valve on the Underwing Nozzle so that fuel can be removed from up to fifty feet of hose. This operation can typically require more than one operator to perform.
A poppet valve on a Underwing Nozzle will consist of a hole, usually round or oval, and a tapered plug, usually a disk shape on the end of a shaft, sometimes called a valve stem. This valve must be opened to allow suction from the Underwing Nozzle for reclaiming the fuel contents from the volume of the hose to the fuel truck tank.
The invention as described herein allows for one person to perform this operation thus saving additional man hours while also creating a more efficient operational procedure.